“Children are our most precious natural resource. Through a child’s eyes war, hunger, and all other horrors of mankind cease to exist; if only for a short while. It does not matter how much your net worth is, or when the next bills are due. To a child all that matters are the stolen moments filled with love, and maybe a little imagination.”
Appleshoe

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Glass Jar Tea Lantern

When I was a child whenever a canning jar got a chip in the rim it was re-purposed as a craft jar. This is one of the simple crafts I remember making. You will need a glass jar; any size will do. Some glue or Mod Podge, and scissors. Ribbons and felt are optional.

Cut several pieces of tissue paper. They can be any size or shape. For this craft I chose to cut half inch squares of three different shades of green in keeping with my Saint Patrick's Day theme.

Mix 3 tea spoons of the glue or Mod Podge with 10 teaspoons of water. It should have the consistency of milk when it is ready. I prefer Mod Podge to glue because it is a sealant and adhesive in one, but it makes no difference which you use. I think as a child we used water, corn starch, and egg whites.

Spread the watery glue directly on the outside of the jar and then carefully place the tissue paper on top of the glue. Continue all the way around the jar till every inch is covered. Do not glue tissue paper inside the jar; it might catch fire.

Once you have covered the outside of the jar pat one more layer of the watery glue to the outside to make sure that every piece of tissue paper has been covered. Rest the jar on it's lid while it dries. An optional step would be to add a felt circle to the bottom of the jar to prevent it from scratching surfaces you display it on. Another option is to glue a pretty ribbon around the outside of the rim of the jar. I think it gives it a nice finished look.